Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted community members,

It is with profound sorrow and broken hearts that we share the passing of our beloved friend, husband, father, son, brother, uncle, colleague, and cherished community member, Steven James Appleton. Steve passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on July 25, 2026, after bravely facing a rare and aggressive cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma, for a year and a half.

Steve was so much more than the roles he held in life. He was a luminous presence — warm, generous, creative, spontaneous, and full of vitality, imagination, and dreams. He moved through the world with curiosity and wonder, always able to find beauty in the ordinary and meaning in the moment. He loved his family deeply, and over time he expanded that family through the many people in the community, especially in Elysian Valley. He made friends and family everywhere he went, creating connection with ease and leaving people feeling seen, valued, and at home. He loved to travel and discover the world, and he carried that sense of openness and adventure into every place he encountered. He loved adventure and the natural world, and especially water in all its forms. Whether sailing, swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking the LA River, visiting the ocean, or simply sitting on the shore and watching the sunset, he felt at home in the presence of water. He cherished it as an element, a source of life, movement, and reflection, and he devoted himself to protecting the river he loved.

Steve was also a deeply talented artist and sculptor, and for many years he created public art that brought beauty, thoughtfulness, and presence into shared spaces. He had a remarkable gift for working with his hands — he could build, repair, shape, and fix almost anything. There was little he could not mend, and even more rare was the care and ingenuity he brought to everything he touched. He was a maker, a problem-solver, an innovator, a lover of good food, and a gifted conversationalist who brought warmth, humor, and insight to every gathering. To know Steve was to be welcomed by his energy, touched by his generosity, inspired by his rare and open-hearted way of being, and feel his genuine passion for life.

Steve was a visionary public artist, educator, founder of the LA River Kayak Safari, and environmental activist whose life and work were inseparable from the Los Angeles River and the Elysian Valley (Frogtown) community he loved so deeply. For decades, he dedicated himself to bridging art, ecology, and community engagement, leaving behind a legacy of creativity, care, and connection that will continue to live on in the lives he touched.

Steve was and will continue to be a leader and influencer in the LA River movement, and more specifically, the LA River Flow Optimization Program with the City of Los Angeles. His legacy and vision for a living LA River will benefit future generations.

His passing leaves an immeasurable absence in our hearts and in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles. As his family and community face this devastating loss, we are coming together to raise funds to help with memorial and final arrangements, and to support his loved ones through this painful time.

Any contribution, no matter the size, will help honor Steve’s life and bring comfort to his family. If you are able, we invite you to share your memories, stories, or photos of Steve in the updates section. Knowing how deeply he was loved, and how many lives he touched, is a source of solace in this time of grief.

Thank you for your generosity, love, and support.

Jen Gootman, Wendy Katagi and Julia Meltzer